Archaeology Notes

The site of Buckholm Mill was previously occupied by Buckholm Corn Mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1839.

The first portion of Buckholm mill was built in 1846 by Henry Sanderson, eldest son of Hugh Sanderson, one of the original owners of Botany Mill (NT43NE 118). Sanderson paid Mr. Pringle of Torwoodlee #4000 for the freehold.

The fall of water was 28 feet and drove two Leffel turbines of 210hp.

Whilst in the ownership of Henry Sanderson, Buckholm Mill was partly occupied by Andrew and Richard Watson, Thomas and George Clapperton and others. In 1850, it was acquired by Messrs Brown, Selkirk, grandsons of William Brown or the 'Baron'. William Brown was one of the original owners of Nether Mill.

In about 1819, William Brown's sons, James and Henry Brown started business of their own account in Galashiels, and in 1835 moved to Selkirk, where they erected the original portion of Ettrick Mill, (NT42NE 48).

James Brown died in 1835, and in 1859 the partnership was dissolved, when his sons William, Henry and Adam acquired Buckholm Mill and commenced business under the name of Brown Brothers.

Buckholm Mill was the first mill in Galashiels to be illuminated by electricity. The installation was fitted out by Edison and Co of New York in 1884. In the same year a large weaving shed, covering between six and seven thousand yards was erected in Kilnknowe Haugh, (NT43NE 116). An iron bridge connected the two portions of the works on either side of the Gala Water.

Information taken from Hall, 1898

Owing to the absence of an exact name for the weaving sheds so named Riverside Mill, (NT43NE 116) in either the bibliographic texts consulted, (see Bibliography) or on the 2nd and 3rd edition Ordnance Survey plans, it would appear that Riverside Mill may have been the weaving sheds for Buckholm Mill. The reasoning for this is that Buckholm Mill is named "Riverside tweed mills", in the book entitled "Industrial History in Pictures", by John Butt, Ian L. Donnachie and John R. Hume, on page 48.

Buckholm Mill and the weaving sheds, so called Riverside Mill, are separated by the Gala Water, which may have been necessitated by the narrowness of the river valley at this point, but they are linked by a conveniently situated bridge, between the two at NT4800 3736.